A delegation of senior level forest supervisors from India visited the Catskill Center to learn about forest management in the Catskills and the New York City Watershed. On Wednesday, April 26, 11 officials from state and federal agencies in India spent several hours learning about the history of the NYC Watershed and about the Catskill Center’s Streamside Acquisition Program from Jeff Senterman, Catskill Center Executive Director, and Julia Solomon, Streamside Acquisition Program - Project Specialist.

The representatives were from all parts of India from the Himalayas to the states at the southern tip of the country. The purpose of their visit was to learn about the New York City water supply and how forest management practices in the Catskills improve water quality. They visited facilities from New York City to the Pepacton Reservoir. As an organization that is a signatory to the NYC Watershed Memorandum of Agreement, and offers numerous education programs and environmental conservation efforts within the Watershed, the Catskill Center was an important stop during their visit. This U.S. – India Exchange program was sponsored by the Partnership for Land Use Science Program (aka Forest PLUS).

That evening at the Catskill Interpretive Center, the delegation gave a public presentation about forest management and natural resources in India. It was a fascinating presentation. Did you know that in just one state in India, 80 people are killed by wild elephants every year?

This was a remarkable day that Catskill Center staff appreciated tremendously and our guests from India were thankful as well, appearing very impressed with the Catskill Mountains.